Total Complaints
5 filings
AUDI S5 · model year
5 NHTSA complaints, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2019AUDIS5 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2019 S5 is engine with 3 filings, followed by wheels (1) and fuel/propulsion system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2019 S5. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
5 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 3 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Q7, Q8, Q5 Sportback, SQ5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q8, 2020-2021 Audi S6 sedan, Q5, A8, S8, A7, A6 Allroad, A5 Cabriolet, A4 sedan, A4 Allroad, SQ5, S7, A6 sedan, S5 coupe, S4 sedan, S5 Cabriolet, A5 coupe, 2019-2021 RS5 coupe,
TIRES
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Audi A5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, 2020-2021 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, Q5, S4 Sedan, S5 Coupe, S5 Cabriolet, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, 2021 Q5 Sportback, Q7,
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2019 Q7, Q8, S5 Cabriolet, and S5 Sportback vehicles. The front shock absorber forks may develop cracks allowing the shock absorbers to loosen.
SEATS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2017-2020 A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, 2018-2019 RS5 Coupe, 2019 RS5 Sportback, 2018-2020 A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, and Audi S5 Sportback vehicles. The cable connecting the seat heater to the Passen
I am writing to file a formal safety defect complaint regarding the EA839 3.0T turbocharged V6 engine installed in various Audi models, including but not limited to the B9/B9.5 S4 and S5, C8 A6 and A7, and 4M/4M.5 Q7 and Q8 (model years approximately 2017 onward). This engine has a well-documented issue with piston skirt wear and failure, which I believe constitutes a significant safety hazard due to the potential for sudden engine failure and loss of vehicle power while driving. As an owner of a 2019 Audi S5, I have experienced symptoms related to this defect, and I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter to prevent potential accidents, injuries, or fatalities.
Upon starting the vehicle while parked on 10/18/2025, dashboard displayed warning: "Turn off engine and check coolant level. See owner's manual." Visual inspection revealed coolant residue on mechanical coolant pump switching valve N649 on cylinder head bank 1, indicating water pump internal seal failure allowing coolant to leak into vacuum control system. Component failed: Water pump (EA839 3.0T engine) - vacuum-actuated design with internal seal failure. Component available for inspection. Safety risk: This documented design defect in EA839 engines can cause sudden drivetrain malfunction and loss of power while driving. While discovered parked in this instance, the same failure mode has caused P0299 codes (turbo under-boost) and "Drivetrain Malfunction" warnings in other vehicles, creating dangerous loss of power situations. Dealer confirmation: Not yet inspected by dealer. Pending diagnostic appointment. Warning symptoms: Dashboard coolant warning message was first indication of
Water pump failure due to coolant migration.
Our gas tank fuel level sensor is faulty so we can no longer tell how much gas is in our car. The check engine and fuel light are permanently on. This fuel sensor malfunction caused me to run out of gas in the middle of the road. The only way to fix it is to replace the entire gas tank at great expense. We were quoted $3500-$4000. We only have 44K miles on the vehicle.
THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) DID NOT FUNCTION AS REQUIRED, AND PRESSURE WAS DANGEROUSLY LOW WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED THE TIRES OVER A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (2-6 WEEKS). I AM CONCERNED GOING FORWARD IF THE TPMS UTILIZED ON THE S5 DOES NOT FUNCTION AS SHOULD BE EXPECTED PER FEDERAL REGULATIONS. PER 49 CFR 571.138 WHEN PRESSURE OF 1 TIRE UP TO 4 TIRES IS < 25% BELOW COLD INFLATION PRESSURE, A LOW PRESSURE WARNING SHOULD ILLUMINATE AND REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE TPMS SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED AN ALERT WHEN ONE OR MORE OF MY TIRES WAS AROUND 30 PSI, YET ALL GOT TO UNDER 24 PSI WITH NO WARNING. THE AUDI SERVICE ADVISOR EXPLAINED THAT THE TPMS UTILIZED ON THE S5 IS AN INDIRECT SYSTEM THAT DETECTS CHANGE IN SPEED/CIRCUMFERENCE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TIRE THAT WOULD INDICATE LOWER PRESSURE, AND IT WILL NOT ALERT IF PRESSURE IN ALL 4 TIRES DECREASES SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, YET AUDI INSISTS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING LIKE THIS. THE OEM TIRES ON TH
Mileage: 11,000
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.